MEMBERS of Australia's swimming team behaved more like ''schoolboys'' on a rugby tour at the London Olympics than elite athletes competing at the pinnacle of their sport, according to a member of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay team.

Responding to claims of bullying, favouritism and childish pranks within the underperforming swimming team, Tommaso D'Orsogna said the kind of ''mucking around'' in London was unacceptable and contributed to the team's lacklustre showing.

That came as champion swimmer Libby Trickett agreed that team unity had been lacking in London and that she, too, had witnessed pranks.

"I think the team unity wasn't as strong as I had felt in previous years" ... Libby Trickett. Photo: AFP

Admitting that he had ''misbehaved'' during the Olympics, 21-year-old D'Orsogna told Channel Ten that he believed some people had forgotten that they were at the Olympics to win medals for Australia and not for personal glory.

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He also hinted that some swimmers had taken the controversial sleeping tablet Stilnox, which was banned from the Australian Olympic team.

''I'm not going to be the guy that lies on media. I'm not going to be the guy that stands up here and lies to Australia. But, at the same time, I'm just not going to comment. I'll leave it at that,'' he told Channel Ten when questioned about Stilnox.

His comments came as Swimming Australia prepared to launch an investigation into the culture of the national team after worrying reports emerged about pranks at the pre-Olympic camp in Manchester.

Team insiders alleged that senior members of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay team, favoured to win gold in London but which emerged without a medal, devised an ''initiation ritual'' that involved taking Stilnox on a bonding night. They also reportedly upset their teammates and coaches at the camp on July 20 by knocking on their doors and making prank calls late at night.

Some members of the six-man relay team - which comprised D'Orsogna, Eamon Sullivan, Matt Targett, James Magnussen, James Roberts and Cameron McEvoy - were said to act like celebrities rather than leaders, and as a consequence their teammates were pleased when they didn't win gold.

Other disturbing allegations of ill-discipline were that two male swimmers kept the body hair they shaved off before competition and scattered it in the beds and bags of other swimmers and that one of the youngest team members was bullied by older team members.

Trickett said she saw a ''few pranks'', which she didn't necessarily believe were a bad thing. However, she told Channel Ten's The Project on Wednesday night that team unity was lacking.

''I think the team unity wasn't as strong as I had felt in previous years,'' she said. ''Obviously this is the first year I've been on the team since 2009, and I just felt in previous years there was a more cohesive unit.''

D'Orsogna did not detail what misbehaviour took place but said it was unacceptable.

''People kind of talk and they say, 'Well, listen, it's just boys being boys,' and things like that, but unfortunately I come back and I look back on that kind of thing and I sit down and think, well, maybe it would be acceptable in a schoolboys' rugby team or a schoolboys' team, but this is the Australian Olympic team and that kind of behaviour shouldn't be tolerated and nor should it be allowed,'' he said.

The Swimming Australia board met in Perth yesterday to discuss the Olympic performance and the imminent review into those results. The review is expected to be headed by former swimmers and board members Kieren Perkins and Tim Ford.